Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity. It also includes specific types of abilities.
Scientific literacy means that a person can ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena. Scientific literacy entails being able to read with understanding articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions. Scientific literacy implies that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed. A literate citizen should be able to evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it. Scientific literacy also implies the capacity to pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropriately. (National Science Education Standards, page 22)
The effective science teacher works to develop scientifically literate students. That is your challenge as you embark on this career. In order to effectively develop scientifically literate students, you must be scientifically literate yourself. This includes, among other things, understanding the nature of science as a discipline, including not only concepts but processes, limitations, etc.
Max Taylor - Lesson 1 enables students to develop skills in observing and collecting data to evaluate a logical conclusion. Using different sized medium’s of hard-boiled eggs, the students will be able to see how the surface area size determines the relative speed at which materials or information can diffuse through them (correlates to cell size, with smaller being more efficient. Lesson 2 enables the students to use deductive reasoning to come upon a conclusion. The students must identify the various cell cycle stages on a diagram and explain why they came to the conclusion of the stage that each cell is at. Lesson 3 enables the students to collect, organize, and analyze data. They must determine the ratio of cells in various stages of the cell cycle and construct a pie graph accordingly. All 3 lesson plans and 3 handouts are provided in the links.
David Herbst - Science Literacy Lesson Plans - The Human Genome. Included is my lesson plans for a 3 day project. The students are to research an assigned genetic disorder, create a poster, and present the poster.
Adam Bruinius - Science Literacy Lesson Plans - The Human Genome. Includes 3 lessons where students are investigating multiple disorders, researching a specific disorder, and also debating the ethics behind genetic engineering.
Taryn Williams- Science Literacy Lesson Plans- Populations. Includes 3 lesson plans containing 3 different literacy strategies used to teach populations. The first day they do a concept map to show comprehension of limiting factors. The next two days they read an article in the book about whether or not the gray wolf needs protection. They pick which argument they side with and learn to research the topic more and form a presentation with their group presenting their argument.
Kevin Nichols - Science Literacy Lesson Plans - These lessons encompass research and investigation skills in order to learn more about the nature of cells and what can happen to them when they are augmented by a disorder. Students will use microscopy to identify different structures of cells, determine their orientation within the cell, and hypothesize about solutions of different concentrations. Students will be introduced to primary sources and how to properly use them to analyze a topic.
Cristy Langefeld- Science Literacy Lesson Plans- Here are my three plans, the 1st has students reading articles and working with classmates to learn information about different types of cancer, the 2nd is a lab activity that involves students using a microscope, drawing cell mitosis stages, and creating a graph of their data, and the 3rd is a stem cell research debate.
Classification Unit Science Literacy Lessons--Larissa Roy:
Attached are the three lesson plans (contained in one file) and the student handouts corresponding with each activity. In the first lesson, students are asked to read cladograms for information before constructing their own figure. The second lesson involves familiarity with binomial nomenclature and looking at an article where discoverers have made comical names for new species--the students must take a side on whether this behavior is acceptable or mars the system. The third lesson pertains to changes within science specifically in the number of kingdoms over the years. Students will be asked to justify which system makes perhaps the best sense and state why.
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Angela Vitale - attached are three lessons emphasizing literacy (contained in one file) and their accompanying handouts. The theme is Cell Structure and Function. The first lesson is about diffusion across membranes and the literacy skills are graph and data interpretation as well as hypothesis/experiment creation. The second lesson is about organelles and the literacy skills are student research and data interpretation. The third lesson is about bacterial/prokaryotic cells and the literacy skill is exploring science in the news and reading and interpreting scientific articles, then making inferences.
Evolution of Populations Science Literacy Lessons- Nic Roome Attached are 3 lessons designed to make students learn science literacy skills while using this unit as context. Students will find an article that pertains to the unit and share what they thought the author was saying and if they agree with them or not. In the second lesson students will read an excerpt from Charles Darwin's Origin of Species__ and identify the topic of the paper while underlining key terms and rephrase the excerpt in their own words. The third lesson involves students reading scenarios of changing environments and they will have to predict how the species will change in the future.
Stephanie Mocilan-These lessons are from a unit on Genetics. They are designed to help the student learn science process skills as well as critical thinking skills. Plan 1- Students will watch a video-2 sets of twins with different skin color will be shown. Students will use the “Think Pair Share” strategy-They will come up with questions to ask, possible answers to the unusual situation and there will be discussion in pairs and with the whole class. This will help them to be better able to ask, find, and determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. Student will develop the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena. Plan 2-Students will watch an online video/animation that tells about traits and passing traits on genetically. Afterwards, student will read a scenario and create their own creature with traits that can be shaped solely by genetics or with the help of the environment. Students will be using the skills of synthesizing, generating ideas, and application. Plan 3- Students will test whether baby dragons with wings and baby dragons without wings will be equally likely to have big horns, and will carry out a simulation of the simultaneous inheritance of the genes for wings and horns by using the drop-the-popsicle-stick-on-the-table method. Students will be Inferring, Identifying and Controlling Variables, Analyzing, and Evaluating.
Dan DeWees- These lessons are designed to teach scientific literacy through gathering and recording data, constructing graphs, analyzing and evaluating information, and designing experiments. In Global Biomes, students will be comparing average temperature and precipitation amounts of areas within a similar biome but geographically separated. In Green Thumbs, students are given the chance to design their own experiment based on manipulating an abiotic factor and seeing how it affects two different types of plants. Lastly, in Greenhouse effect? Pshh! students are given three different writing regarding the greenhouse effect and are encouraged through discussion to explain what makes a valid source of information for research.
Science Mystery Assignment:
n Your job is to evaluate your assigned science mystery based on the following criteria�
Overview (Description of what is expected)
Concepts learned (Where in the curriculum could you use this mystery?)
Skills learned (What do students learn besides concepts?)
Difficulty (What grade level(s) would you use this mystery with? Why?)
Value (Does this help students learn the concepts? Does it help them learn scientific literacy skills? Is it worth the time?)
Enjoyment (Is this an enjoyable experience for students?)
The Structure of DNA: Cooperation and Competition - Complex version
Student Work:
needed.
Cristy Langefeld- Science Literacy Lesson Plans- Here are my three plans, the 1st has students reading articles and working with classmates to learn information about different types of cancer, the 2nd is a lab activity that involves students using a microscope, drawing cell mitosis stages, and creating a graph of their data, and the 3rd is a stem cell research debate.
Classification Unit Science Literacy Lessons--Larissa Roy:
Attached are the three lesson plans (contained in one file) and the student handouts corresponding with each activity. In the first lesson, students are asked to read cladograms for information before constructing their own figure. The second lesson involves familiarity with binomial nomenclature and looking at an article where discoverers have made comical names for new species--the students must take a side on whether this behavior is acceptable or mars the system. The third lesson pertains to changes within science specifically in the number of kingdoms over the years. Students will be asked to justify which system makes perhaps the best sense and state why.
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Angela Vitale - attached are three lessons emphasizing literacy (contained in one file) and their accompanying handouts. The theme is Cell Structure and Function. The first lesson is about diffusion across membranes and the literacy skills are graph and data interpretation as well as hypothesis/experiment creation. The second lesson is about organelles and the literacy skills are student research and data interpretation. The third lesson is about bacterial/prokaryotic cells and the literacy skill is exploring science in the news and reading and interpreting scientific articles, then making inferences.
Evolution of Populations Science Literacy Lessons- Nic Roome Attached are 3 lessons designed to make students learn science literacy skills while using this unit as context. Students will find an article that pertains to the unit and share what they thought the author was saying and if they agree with them or not. In the second lesson students will read an excerpt from Charles Darwin's Origin of Species__ and identify the topic of the paper while underlining key terms and rephrase the excerpt in their own words. The third lesson involves students reading scenarios of changing environments and they will have to predict how the species will change in the future.
Science Mystery Assignment:
n
Your job is to evaluate your assigned science mystery based on the following criteria�
You can find your mystery at www.sciencemystery.com